# SmartCrawl Overview

SmartCrawl is a WordPress SEO plugin by WPMU DEV. Current version: **3.15.0** (January 26, 2026). Available as a free plugin on WordPress.org and a Pro version through WPMU DEV membership. Supports WordPress Multisite and has been translated into 16 locales.

## Full Feature Inventory

### Core Modules

| Module | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| **Dashboard** | One-click Setup Wizard, SEO Health score, import/export settings (JSON) |
| **SEO Health / Checkup** | Full site SEO scan with color-coded grading and recommendations |
| **Titles & Meta** | Global templates with macros + per-post overrides, Google preview snippet |
| **Social** | Open Graph (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest) + Twitter/X Cards |
| **Sitemap Generator** | XML, Google News, and Image sitemaps with configurable inclusions/exclusions |
| **Schema / Structured Data** | 20+ pre-built types + custom schema builder |
| **Content Analysis** | In-editor SEO analysis + readability scoring, up to 3 focus keywords |

### Advanced Tools (Sub-modules)

| Sub-module | Description |
|------------|-------------|
| **Redirects** | 301/302/307 redirects, regex support, bulk import/export |
| **Automatic Linking** | Auto-convert keywords to links (Pro only) |
| **Breadcrumbs** | Shortcode-based breadcrumb navigation with schema markup |
| **Moz Integration** | Domain authority and link metrics in the WP dashboard |
| **Robots.txt Editor** | Edit robots.txt from the admin (Pro only) |
| **Meta Robots** | Per-post index/noindex, follow/nofollow controls |

### Additional Features

| Feature | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| **WooCommerce SEO** | Product schema, OG tags, category SEO settings |
| **Instant Indexing** | Notifies Google when content is added/updated (not IndexNow) |
| **Import/Export** | JSON-based settings transfer between sites |
| **Role-based Access** | Control which user roles can access SEO settings |

## Free vs Pro

### Free Version Includes

- One-click setup wizard
- Titles & Meta descriptions (global templates + per-post overrides)
- XML Sitemap generator (with exclusions)
- Google News Sitemap
- Image Sitemap
- Open Graph & Twitter Cards
- SEO content analysis & readability checks (up to 3 focus keywords)
- Schema markup (all pre-built types + custom schema builder)
- 301/302/307 Redirects (basic)
- Breadcrumbs with schema
- Moz integration
- Meta robots (index/noindex, follow/nofollow)
- Multisite support
- Import/Export settings
- WooCommerce SEO

### Pro Adds

| Feature | Details |
|---------|---------|
| Scheduled SEO Audits | Automated URL crawls with email reports |
| Automatic Linking | Keyword-to-link automation across all content |
| Location-based Redirects | Geolocation rules for redirect targeting |
| Site Crawler | Broken URL detection, 404 monitoring, redirect chain detection |
| Robots.txt Editor | Edit robots.txt from the admin panel |
| White Label | Custom branding (remove WPMU DEV references) |
| MaxMind DB | Geolocation integration for location-based features |
| Priority Support | 24/7 live chat with WPMU DEV team |

### Pricing

Pro requires WPMU DEV membership (~$7.50/month), which includes all WPMU DEV premium plugins (Hummingbird, Smush, Defender, Forminator, etc.).

## Comparison: SmartCrawl vs Yoast vs Rank Math

| Feature | SmartCrawl Free | Yoast Free | Rank Math Free |
|---------|----------------|------------|----------------|
| Focus keywords per post | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Schema types | Many + custom builder | Basic | 18+ pre-defined |
| Redirects | Yes (301/302/307) | No (Pro only) | Yes + 404 monitor |
| Breadcrumbs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| XML Sitemap | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| News Sitemap | Yes | No (Pro) | Pro only |
| Image Sitemap | Yes | Included in main | Included in main |
| Open Graph / Twitter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Readability analysis | Yes (Flesch-Kincaid) | Yes (more detailed) | Yes |
| Google Search Console | No | No (limited) | Yes (built-in) |
| Google Analytics | No | No | Yes (GA4) |
| IndexNow | No | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-linking | Pro only | No | Pro only |
| WooCommerce SEO | Yes | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| White label | Pro only | No | Pro only |
| Moz integration | Yes | No | No |

### Positioning Summary

- **SmartCrawl** — Simplest UI, least overwhelming. Best for WPMU DEV ecosystem users. Generous free tier for schema. Weakest on analytics integration and IndexNow.
- **Yoast** — Most beginner-friendly (traffic-light system). Most detailed readability. Locks more behind Pro.
- **Rank Math** — Most feature-rich free tier. Best analytics integration. Most focus keywords. Rapidly adding AI-era features.